Dick Grayson: Robin / Nightwing Appreciation 2020

[WonderNight]

I've warmed up to the Dick/Zatanna thing over time. I think the idea is worth exploring either in the main continuity or in an Elseworlds. Dick and Starfire are from two different genres so I have a hard time imagining how a couples book with the two of them could work while Dick/Babs feel like two peas in a pod. There is not enough contrast between them. Dick and Zatanna are performers and have a much lighter view on the world, not to mention a lot of sex appeal. Plus, you can have stories that can slide from regular crime stories to the more fantastical magical stuff or a mix of the two. Dick and Zatanna could start off as a fun, sexy relationship but over time you can see their differences come to light. Maybe Zatanna is splitting her commitment between Dick and her work. She is always away to perform somewhere else while Dick has to go elsewhere. Maybe Dick, the globe trotting bachelor hero prefers having a steady partner with him to share his adventures. Maybe there are situations like with the high end magic stuff where he is completely useless and makes him wonder if Bruce has a point when it comes to contingency plans. I don't know, it could be fun.

People are just going to ship what they want, BUT if DC had a blind match making app, based on their backgrounds, personality, sex appeal and heroics dick and zatanna would easily be each others 1st/top matches.

Heck I'm hoping that zatanna is the mother of dick's daughter the new batwoman beyond because that would then allow batwoman to keep her connection to the supernatural.

[Shamrock Holmes]

yeah DCU just think zee's age there just show her as her 20s.

Zatanna and Bruce friendship is good but the problem is as batman is aged so to is zatanna. When zatanna is old enough to be tim and stephanie's mother it doesn't feel right and doesn't work with how DC see and uses her.

Well, Zatanna was specifically ID'd as 18 when her father disappeared, and she joined the League about a year later IIRC, and Dick was generally stated as being in his mid to late teens during the same period. So in theory they could be as close as five years apart, which is similar to the Silver & Bronze Age gap between Dick and Babs IIRC.

[Rac7d*]

People are just going to ship what they want, BUT if DC had a blind match making app, based on their backgrounds, personality, sex appeal and heroics dick and zatanna would easily be each others 1st/top matches.

Heck I'm hoping that zatanna is the mother of dick's daughter the new batwoman beyond because that would then allow batwoman to keep her connection to the supernatural.

Zatanna is in her 40s and she is not getting dunked in a Lazarus pit every now and then

[dropkickjake]

People are just going to ship what they want, BUT if DC had a blind match making app, based on their backgrounds, personality, sex appeal and heroics dick and zatanna would easily be each others 1st/top matches.

Says people are going to ship who they want.
Proceeds to ship who they want.

Seriously though, in the YJ Universe I ship the two of them (though tbf I do like the idea that people don't end up with their first girlfriend in that show). Wouldn't make too much sense in the main universe without a pretty hefty reboot/retconning of Zee's history.

Also, while I think the pairing would make sense if you fudged Zatanna's age and history a bit, I think that's true of plenty of female heroes.

[Godlike13]

Does Zatanna need to be the same age as Dick? Personally speaking on paper it seems like an interesting pairing, but I do not like when Dick’s love interests are shared with others in Batfamily so all things being fair I don’t think Bruce’s should be either. Jason banging Talia made me as uncomfortable as Bruce banging Babs. Hell Catwoman trying to seduce Dick was gross to me. I don’t know where Zatanna lands exactly. As love interests goes she’s not anywhere near Talia or Babs respectively, and there aren’t any mother or mentor connotations, but even so I’m just not sure.

[AmiMizuno]

Yea this is why I have an issue with Dick and Babs. Since Dc does at times make Babs and Bruce date. Which is why I rather have him date Kori. I mean Zatanna and Bruce isn't the most popular couple. I mean even if they aren't the same age it wouldn't be too bad. I mean how age is she suppose to be?

[qwazer07]

I don't get the issue. Babs is passed around the Bat family. Why is it Dick who has to take the blame? Not Bruce? Jason? Tim? Luke? Kori also slept with Roy. Are we also removing Kori? What about Damian and Raven? I'm pretty sure Dick and Raven had dream sex. Dick can date Zatanna.

[Godlike13]

Point is I’m not okay with Babs being passed around the Bat Family, or Jason and Roy high fiving over banging Kori. So all things being equal, I don’t think Bruce’s love interests should be shared between the family either.

[qwazer07]

Babs, Kori, Talia, etc. don't belong to Dick, Bruce, etc. They are not just a love interest. Batman fans gets too defensive over their ships. "Oh, Talia, Catwoman, Babs, etc. can't date the boys. They belong to Batman." Jesus. Stop being insecure over fictional character relationships. When has been the last time Bruce and Zee ever been in a relationship? Batman fans can't let go. And by Batman, this also goes with Dick. Let Kori grow out of being just Dick's fling. She is an all powerful alien princess with greater understanding of love, emotions and kindness than anyone in Earth. Yet she keeps on moping about Dick.

[Godlike13]

Not liking to see Kori and Babs do the rounds with Dick's family and friends, or Talia and Catwoman banging Bruce's sons isn't being insecure over fictional character relationships. This is an issue with family and friends sharing love interests in general. It wouldn't be cool for Dick to hook up Black Canary or Blackfire, or having a go with all the Batgirls.

[qwazer07]

It's fictional. Diana can't date Bruce or Clark now. What about Dick being passed around the DCU. Comic readers are looking at it in a male gaze and perspective. A guy can date multiple women. But once a women does it. Fanboys complain like the world is ending. People in real life date their ex's friends and even family. Why not comic books where everyone had 10+ love interest since their creation.

[Godlike13]

See my ex's never dated my brother, and i never hooked up with his. Does this happen sure, does it need to be a common things between them though no it doesn't. Cause its not that common and its usually done in drama to create more drama. Your trying generalize the issue into something else. From not being cool with their respective love interests dating their friends and family, to not being cool with their love interests dating anyone else.

[qwazer07]

Okay. Let's just end this. I don't agree with how conservative, prudish, patriarchal Americans comics are but yet still show excessive violence. You are comfortable with that and I respect you. Comic books are drama in the end of the day. It's how they sell.

[Elmo]

Each character should have their own love interests I mean who would argue with that ?

Aside from fan shipping does the Bat family really have this issue to begin with? Barbara Gordon doesn’t have any memorable love interests other than Dick, Selina is almost always tied to Bruce, Steph Brown with Tim Drake, etc

The issue here is that female characters tend to be tied to one male character whereas male characters usually have a handful of love interests.

I’m all about female characters having more love interests. Within the Bat family, eh, I think anything different from the norm would result in some awkward pairings.

[John Venus]

Well, Zatanna was specifically ID'd as 18 when her father disappeared, and she joined the League about a year later IIRC, and Dick was generally stated as being in his mid to late teens during the same period. So in theory they could be as close as five years apart, which is similar to the Silver & Bronze Age gap between Dick and Babs IIRC.

You sure Dick was 20-25 in the 1967? I recall in the Batman Family titles in the 70's had him pegged as 18 years old.

EDIT: I found it: http://www.orgamesmic.com/wp-content...difference.jpg
Barbara is explicitly 25 while Dick is still pegged as a teenager in 1976.